Double action latch



1964 J. B. HUMPHRIES DOUBLE ACTION LATCH F'iled Janl 28, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 em, ww,

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INVENTOI? v/u'aes m Q? B John B. Hum

ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, 1964 J. B. HUMPHRIES DOUBLE ACTION LATCH 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1963 INVENTOR John B. Ewmphries ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, 1964 J. B. HUMPHRIES 3,162,034

DOUBLE ACTION LATCH Filed Jan. 28, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Job ,8. Humphrb'es @Z m 6AM 29 ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofitice hlfizfifi Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,034 DQUBLE ACTION LATCH John B. Hunzphries, Stamford, Conn, assignor to The Excelsior Hardware Company, Stamford, Conn. Filed Jan. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 254,2tt8 7 Claims. (Cl. 7ll--7l)) This invention relates to a novel latch for containers such as luggage cases. More specifically, the invention provides a compact, self-contained latch operating with lever action for easy closure. The latch is held shut with a novel positive action and it incorporates a novel lock structure.

A latch embodying the invention is particularly suited for easy operation when mounted in a recess or groove in a luggage case. This mounting is desirable to protect the latch from damage and from being accidentally opened.

Many prior art container latches for groove mounting are excessive in length. Further, portions of these latches generally protrude into the container, requiring a large hole to be cut through the container shell.

The present latch is compact and self-contained, requiring no enlarged cutouts in the container on which it is used.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved compact latch for luggage and similar containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container latch of the above character for mounting fully recessed in a groove or recess.

A further object of the invention is to provide a luggage latch of the above character that can be opened and shut with ease. 1

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a latch having the foregoing features that can be constructed at low cost. It is also an object that the latch be compact and small in size for use with small and medium sized luggage cases.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch of the above character that can be accommodated on thin wall containers without having protrusions extending into the container.

Yet another object is to provide a latch having the foregoing features and incorporating an integral lock mechanism.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of 2 construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a latch embodying the present invention mounted on a container;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional side elevation view of the latch in the open, unlatched position, taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional side elevation view similar to FIGURE 2 with the latch in the closed, latched position;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan view of the latch of FIGURE 1, taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, showing the locking mechanism in the unlocked position;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view, similar to FIGURE 4, showing the locking mechanism in the locked position; and

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the construction of the catch of FIGURE 1.

The present latch has a main latch structure to hold the container closed and a second latch structure that controls the action of the main latch. The two latch structures are joined to positively secure the container closed, producing utmost ease in operation. The latter feature is enhanced by a lever action that draws the container shut as the latch is closed.

A further feature of the present latch is its compactness, achieved with a novel construction wherein the main latching member is sandwiched between the base plate and the main actuator, termed a carriage. When the latch is shut, the carriage housing protectively nests over the complete assembly.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, a container such as the luggage case indicated generally at 10 is fitted with a latch indicated generally at 11. The latch 11 includes a notched bolt 12 depending from the container top 14 for retention in a catch indicated generally at 16 secured to the container bottom 18. The catch 16 is suitably mounted in a recess or groove 26 formed in the container bottom 18. The catch 16 is entirely selfcontained and protrudes from the groove 20 only when open as in FIGURE 1.

As seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, respectively showing the latch 11 open and closed, the catch 16 has. a base assembly indicated generally at 22 pivotally linked to a carriage generally indicated at 24. When the latch is closed, the bolt 12, seen in FIGURES 1 and 3, is positively retained within a chamber indicated at 26 in the catch 15. The latch ll is held in this condition, with the carriage 24 nested over the base assembly 22, by the retention of a notched prong 28, protruding up from the base assembly 22, by a keeper indicated generally at 35 carried on the carriage 24.

The latch 11 is opened by depressing an actuator 32 to release the keeper 30 from the prong 28, allowing the base assembly 22 to release the carriage 24, which pivots upward and moves forward to the position shown in FIGURE 2. The bolt 12 is free to be withdrawn from the catch 16 when the carriage 24 is thus separated from the base assembly.

The Base Assembly As shovm in FIGURE 6, the base assembly 22 is constructed with a base plate 34 from the front end of which notched prongs 28 and 29 protrude upward on each side. A pair of hinge tabs 35 and 38 extend in the same direction from the middle of each side of the base plate 34.

Mounting holes 40 and 42 are formed through the base plate 34 to allow the assembled catch 16 to be mounted on the bottom of the container 10 (FIGURE 1). The mounting can suitably be achieved with self-tapping screws 44 and 46, shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, passing through the container and threadedly engaging the base plate at the holes at) and 42, respectively.

Referring again to FIGURE 6, a cage indicated genorally at 48, having a front wall 50, a top 52 and an apertured rear wall 54, is secured to the base plate 34 as with tabs SSa-b that extend respectively through slots 57ab in the base plate. The side walls 56 and 58 of the cage 48 are formed with apertures 60 and 62, respectively. It can now be seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 that the chamber 26, in which the bolt 12 (FIGURE 1) is retained when the latch 11 is closed, is formed by the cage 48 and the base plate 34; in the latch shown, the bolt enters the chamber 26 through the aperture 62 in the wall 58 of the cage.

Latch Mechanism A latching member indicated generally at 64, seen in FIGURE 6, is preferably stamped from sheet metal as are the base plate 34 and the cage 48. A pair of hinge 3 tabs 66 and 68 depend from the latching member 64 and are spaced by an arm 78 from a front wall 72. A pair of latching flanges '74 and 76 adjacent the front wall 72, also depend from each side of the member 54 in the same direction as the tabs 66 and 68.

In the assembled catch, seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the front wall 72 and the latching flanges 74 and 76 of the latching member 64 are retained within the cage 48 withthe latching member arm 70 extending from the aperture in the cage wall 54. The cage 48 thus holds the latching member 64 to the base plate 34 while allowing the latching member to move along the plate as its arm 70 is retracted and extended with respect to the cage.

The C'arriage As seen in FIGURE 6, the carriage 24 is constructed with a housing indicated generally at 73 having a top wall 82, and a peripheral wall 89, which comprises side Walls 30a and 8%, front wall 800 and a solid rear wall 86d. The peripheral and top walls of the housing 78 thus form an enclosure for the base assembly 22 when the catch is closed, as seen in FIGURE 3 where the base assembly is nested within the housing '78 below the upper edge 20a of the container groove 20.

Still referring to FIGURE 6, the peripheral side walls 30a and 8012 are cut away at 84 and 36 respectively. When the catch is assembled, these cut-away portions 34 and 86 are aligned with the chamber 26 and allow the notched bolt 12 (FIGURE 1) to pass through the housing Wall 89 to enter the chamber, as seen in FIG- URE 4. With the symmetrical construction of the cage 48, latching member 64 and housing 78, the present latch has universal application, being adapted to receive the bolt 12 through either housing cut-away portion 84 or 86.

The actuator 32, FIGURES 1 through 3, is ofiset and joined to the keeper plate 114 by its stepped edge 127, and extends from the housing 78 through a hole 38 formed in the frontwall 88c. As also seen in FIGURE 6, a canopy 90 extends over the hole 88 from the top 82 of the housing 78.

The housing front end 78a has a keyhole 128 extending through the top wall 82 and a wall l30extending part way from the side peripheral wall 80a toward the side wall 80b. A gap 123 is thus formed between the Wall 130 and the side wall 89b. The wall 139 is spaced rearwardly from the front peripheral wall 8%, forming a lock chamber 131. A shoulder-132 protrudes into the interior of the housing 78 fromthe side wallbil'b pposite the Wall 139 and forms a stop 132a facing the front wall 800.

Continuing with reference to FIGURE 6, the housing 78 is formed with shoulders 92 and M- at its rear end 781), beyond the cut-out portions 84 and as. The shoulders 92 and 94 are spaced apart to accommodate between them the hinge tabs 66 and 68 of latching mem ber 64. A hinge pin hole 96 extends through one side of the housings peripheral wall 8t? and through both shoulders 92 and 94 to receive a hinge pin 98 that passes through the holes in the hinge tabs 66 and 68 of the latching member 64. In this manner, the housing 78 is hinged to the latching member 64 and is thus slidingly and pivotally connected with the base plate 34.

As seen in'FIGURES 2 and 3, a link 1%, extending between the carriage 24 and the base assembly 22 of the catch 16, is pivoted with respect to these elements pin 1% and is torsionally compressed between the housing 78 and the link 100 to urge the link to rotate from Keeper Assembly As also shown in FIGURE 6, the keeper 30 is constructed with a keeper plate 114, a lock plate 116, a cover plate 118, and a leaf spring 120, all assembled in chamber 131 in the front end'78a of the housing as seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. The keeper plate 114 is formed with an offset actuator 32 at its front and with a wall 122 extending along part of its rear edge and leaving a void 124 at a corner of the plate. The rear Wall 122 has a cam ridge 121 separating two shallow adjacent grooves 122a and 1221) at the end of the rear wall remote from the void 124. A recessed slide channel 126 is formed between the rear wall 122 and the offset actuator 32.

The keeper plate 114 is assembled Within lock charnher 131 in the front end 78a of the housing parallel to the top wall 32 and spaced from the wall 136 so that its actuator 32 protrudes through the hole 88. The shoulder 132 of the housing 73 fits into the void 124 in the plate rear wall 122. The spring 124 formed as a generally U-shaped leaf spring having an enlarged base loop 12%, is compressed between the housing wall 130 and the wall 122 of the keeper plate 114, as best seen in FIGURES 4 and 5. The base loop 126:: of the spring extends into the gap 123 between the wall 139 and the shoulder 132. The spring thus urges the keeper plate 114 forward in the housing 78, away from the wall 13dand with its actuator 32 fully extended from the front peripheral wall Silo. The stepped edge 127, formed on the plate 114 between the actuator 32 and the channel 1 engages the housing front Wall 80c to limit the forward position of the plate 114.

Still considering the keeper 36, as detailed in FIGURE 6, the keeper plate 1 5 is formed with recesses 134 and 136 in opposite sides thereof along the slide channel 126. These recesses are disposed to receive the prongs 2-3 and 25 of the base plate 34 and have edges 134a and 13nd respectively that fit in the notches in the prongs to retain the prongs in the keeper, as shown in FlGURE 3. Thus,- when the keeper plate is slid back toward the wall 136 by a depressing the actuator 32, which compresses the spring 12% the prongs 28 and 29 freely pass into the recesses 134 and 136. When the keeper plate is released, the spring 120 urges it forward in the housing 78 and the edges 134a and 136a engage the notches in the prongs 23 and 29 to retain the prongs engaged with the keeper plate. This engagement between the prongs 28 and 29 and the keeper plate 114 holds the latch 11 in the closed position shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

Lock Mechanism The lock plate 116, FIGURE 6, snugly tits in the recessed channel 1126 of the keeper plate 114 and is moved transversely back and forth in the channel along the channel guide direction, indicated with the arrow 138, by a key 146 between the locked and unlocked positions detailed below. The lock plate portion 116a, overlying the keeper plate recesses 134 and 135, is reduced in width so the lock plate 116 does not extend over the notches 13d and 136. This allows the prongs 28 and 29 of the base plate 34 to protrude past the keeper plate, as seen in FIGURE 3, without interference from the lock plate.

The lock plate 3161') is slotted at 11% to form a cantilever arm 14% extending across its rear end, and has a detent 1 52 protruding rearward from the free end of the arm 1 39. A barrier 144 protrudes from the lock plate at its rear corner at the fixed end or the arm 14% This barrier interferes with the stop 132a formed on the shoulder 132 of the housing 78 when the lock plate is disposed in the channel 126 of the keeper plate as shown in FIGURE 5 with its detent 142 in the rear wall groove 122a, to lock the latch.

The lock plate 114 has also a key aperture 145 having a semicircular open portion 145a centrally disposed adjoining a slot portion 14512. A key 146, having a pin 146a rotatable within a hole 114a in the keeper plate and a web 146b that fits in the slot portion 145b, shifts the lock plate 116 between its locked and unlocked positions, as detailed below.

The cove-r plate 118 is secured to the housing 78 spanned between the front peripheral wall 890 and the wall 13! to hold the keeper plate 114, with the lock plate 116 assembled in its channel 126, and the spring 120 in place. Cut-outs 118a and 118b are formed recessing the sides of the cover plate 118 where it overlies the recesses 134 and 136 in the keeper plate 114, to allow the base plate prongs 28 and 29 to freely pass through the cover plate to be engaged by the keeper plate.

Operation When the latch 11 opens to the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the prongs 23 and 22 on the base plate 34 are released from the keeper 3G. The coil spring 105, FIGURE 6, can then rotate the link 106 to swing the carriage 24 out, away from the base assembly 22.

As the carriage swings open, its rear end 24a moves forward along the base plate 34. This moves the latching member 64 forward along the base plate, retracting it in the cage 48 so that its latching flanges 74 and 76 are retracted from the chamber 26. The bolt 12 is then free to be withdrawn from the chamber 26, allowing the top 14 of the container 1 to be raised. The Iotation of the carriage is limited by the engagement, best seen in FIGURE 2, between the forward-moving shoulders 92 and 94 on the housing 73 and the rear wall 54 of the cage 48.

The front wall 72 of the latching member 64 is preferably longer than the flanges 74 and 76. This spaces the flange from the base plate 34, as seen in FIGURE 3.

To close the latch 11 after the bolt 12 is disposed in the chamber 26 by closing the container cover, it is only necessary to depress the carriage 24 as indicated by the arrow 143 in FIGURE 1. This can readily be done with one finger.

The bolt 12 is preferably notched as seen in FIGURE 4 with a bevelled notch wall 12a. The camming flange 76 increasingly engages this wall 12a, as the latch is closed, to cam the bolt further into the chamber 26, drawing the container closed.

The long lever arm provided by the carriage as it pivots closed about the hinge pin 98 operates as a lever to cam the latching flange 76 against the bolt wall 12a with a large mechanical advantage. In this manner, the present latch provides easy closure while drawing the container tightly closed.

As shown in FIGURE 2, as the carriage 24 swings closed, its rear end 24a moves back along the base plate 34, extending the latching member to move its latching flanges 74 and 76 into the chamber 26. In this position, the flange 76 engages the notch in the bolt 12, as seen in FIGURE 4, retaining the bolt in the chamber 26 to hold the container shut.

As the carriage 24 is swung closed, the base plate prongs 28 and 29 pass by the keeper cover plate 118, to engage the edges 134a and 136a of the keeper plate 114. The top camming surfaces 28a and 29a, FIGURE 6, of the prongs cam the keeper plate back toward the housing interior wall 130. As the prongs 28 and 29 protrude further into the keeper 3% they become engaged, as in. FIG- URES 3 and 5, by the keeper plate, which the compressed spring 120 urges forward into the notches of the prongs. With the prongs 2S and 29 thus positively retained in the keeper 30, the latch 11 is held shut. In this position, the latch 11 is fully recessed in the container groove 26', below the groove edge 26a, as seen in FIGURE 3.

The latch is readily opened by depressing the actuator 32, FIGURES l, 3 and 6, to release the prongs 28 and 29 from the keeper 30, thereby allowing the spring 195 to swing the carriage 24 automatically away from the base assembly 22 to the position shown in FIGURE 2.

Turning now to FIGURES 4 and 5, the latch is locked by shifting the lock plate 116 along the channel 126 in the keeper plate 114 to the position shown in FIGURE 5, where the detent 142 is disposed in the groove 122a and the barrier 143 protrudes across the void 124 to interfere with the stop 132a of the shoulder 132. The lock plate 116 is shifted to this locked position from the unlocked position of FIGURE 4 by the key 146.

When the key is inserted in the unlocked lock of FIG- URE 4, its web 14617 is initially in the position indicated at I. Rotation of the key in the direction of arrow 150 sweeps the web 146b across the open portion 145a of the key aperture 145 past the convex shoulder 152 that forms one side of the key aperture slot portion 145b. When the key web is thus rotated to the position II, FIGURE 4, it bears against the convex shoulder 154 to shift the lock pla e 116 to the locked position of FIGURE 5. With the lock plate thus shifted, the key web is free to rotate past the shoulder 154, as seen in FIGURE 5 and return to its initial position, for removal from the lock.

As the lock plate 116 tends to slide in the channel 126, as from the unlocked position of FIGURE 4 to the FIG- URE 5 locked position, the detent 142 and the cam ridge 121 cam the cantilever arm downward into the slot 116b, to allow the lock plate 116 to shift to the locked position. The cam ridge 121 then bears against the detent 142 to hold the lock plate in the locked position.

Similarly, the lock is unlocked by sliding the lock plate from the position shown in FIGURE 5 to the position shown in FIGURE 4 as a result of the opposite rotation of the key.

In summary, described above is a latch for luggage and like containers constructed with a novel catch mechanism having two cooperating latch mechanisms. The doublelatch construction makes possible a catch that has a simple operating movement and that provides easy closure with a lever action. The two coacting latch mechanisms also ensure positive and secure closure. The compact selfcontained construction of the invention enables the catch to be recessed in a groove in the container, or mounted above the container surfaces.

The invention also provides a novel lock structure having a lock plate operated with a simple shifting action. A depressible detent on the lock plate prevents it from being accidentally shifted. Further, the novel key-engaging actuator on the lock plate enhances the facile and positive locking action.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of theinvention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A lockable latch mechanism comprising in combination (A) a resiliently biased latch member movable with respect to a housing to engage and to release a prong member,

(1) guide means on said latch member, (2) a cam peak on said latch member protruding transversely with respect to the guide direction of said guide means,

(B) a stop on the housing and,

(C) a lock member movably mounted on said latch member and shiftable along said guide means between a locked position where it engages said stop to block the prong-releasing movement of said latch member and an unlocked position where it does not interfere with movement of said latch member,

(1) facing convex cam shoulders disposed on said lock member for alternate engagement by a key to shift said lock member between said locked unlocked positions, and

(2) resilient detent means on said lock member engaged by said cam peak to maintain said lock tmember in one of said locked and unlocked positions. i

2. A locking latch mechanism comprising in combination (A) a bolt,

(B) a housing releasably retaining said bolt to hold said latch mechanism closed,

(1) a stop in said housing,

(C) a latch member movable along a first direction in said housing between latched and unlatched positions to eiiect the releasable retention of said bolt,

(1) means forming a recessed slide channel in said latch member extending transversely with respect to said first direction,

(2) a cam on said latch member protruding into said channel,

(D) a lock plate fitted in said slide channel for movement therealong between a locked position and an unlocked position,

(1) said lock plate interfering with said stop when in said locked position to prevent said latch member irombeing moved out of said latched position, a

(2) said lock plate being slotted to form a cantilever arm resiliently defiectable in said first direction,

(3) a detent protruding in said first direction from the free end of said cantilever arm to engage said cam,

(a) the engagement between said cam and said detent holding said lock plate in said locked position and in said unlockedposition, and

(b) said cam deflecting said cantilever arm when said lock plate is shifted between said locked and unlocked positions to allow said detent to be shifted from one side of said cam to the other. e

3. The locking latchmechanism defined in claim 2 further comprising (A) means forming spaced, facing convexly-rounded cam shoulders disposed on said lock plate for alternate engagement by a rotatable key (1) said cam shoulders converting rotation of said key to translation of said lock plate to deflect said cantilever cam and shift said lock plate from one of said locked and unlocked positions to the other.

4. A latch for holding the top of a container closed against the container bottom, said latch comprising in combination v (A) a slotted bolt protruding from the container top,

(B) a base plate secured to the container bottom,

a (C) a cage on said base plate forming a chamber positioned to receive said bolt when said container is closed,

(D) a latch member supported by said cage for translation along said base plate,

(1) a latching flange on said latch member disposed in said cage,

(2) an arm on said latch member extending beyond said cage,

(a) said arm telescoping in and out of said cage to move said latching member and latching flange in and out of said chamber when said latch member is moved back and forth along said base plate,

(E) a link pivotally mounted about a first pivot mounted to the middle of said base plate,

(F) a carriage hinged at the back end to said extended arm of said latch member for disposition substantially congruent with said base plate and for rotation about an axis parallel to said first axis,

(1) said link being pivotally mounted about a second pivot mounted to the middle of said carriage,

(a) said second pivot being parallel to said first pivot,

(2) so that said carriage is movable between (a) a closed position nested over said other elements where it moves said latch member with a mechanical advantage to engage said latching flange in the slot in said bolt, and

(b) an open position where said link raises said carriage away from said base plate and said carriage moves said locking flange out of said chamber to release said bolt.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 in which (G) said slotted bolt has a carnming slot Wall, and

(H) said latching flange increasingly engages said camming slot wall during closure of said latch to draw said bolt into said chamber with a mechanical advantage and thereby draw the container top and bottom together.

I 6. The combination defined in claim 4 further comprismg (G) resilient means urging said carriage to said open a position,

(H) prong means extending from said base plate, and

(I) a releasable keeper assembly carried in the front end of said carriage to engage said prong means to hold said carriage closed.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein V (I) said carriage further comprises an overhanging canopy at one end thereof, and

(K) said releasable keeper assembly comprises a manually operable actuator extending outwardly from said carriage under said canopy.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,970,858 2/61 Norrenberg-Sudhaus -75 3,031,874 5/62 Levine 70-76 3,034,327 5/62 Garmon et a1. 707O FOREIGN PATENTS 71,570 4/31 Sweden.

M. BENSON WOQD, In, Primary Examiner.

ALBERT H. KAMPE, Examiner. 

1. A LOCKABLE LATCH MECHANISM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION (A) A RESILIENTLY BIASED LATCH MEMBER MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO A HOUSING TO ENGAGE AND TO RELEASE A PRONG MEMBER, (1) GUIDE MEANS ON SAID LATCH MEMBER, (2) A CAM PEAK ON SAID LATCH MEMBER PROTRUDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE GUIDE DIRECTION OF SAID GUIDE MEANS, (B) A STOP ON THE HOUSING AND, (C) A LOCK MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID LATCH MEMBER AND SHIFTABLE ALONG SAID GUIDE MEANS BETWEEN A LOCKED POSITION WHERE IT ENGAGES SAID STOP TO BLOCK THE PRONG-RELEASING MOVEMENT OF SAID LATCH MEMBER AND AN UNLOCKED POSITION WHERE IT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH MOVEMENT OF SAID LATCH MEMBER, (1) FACING CONVEX CAM SHOULDERS DISPOSED ON SAID LOCK MEMBER FOR ALTERNATE ENGAGEMENT BY A KEY TO SHIFT SAID LOCK MEMBER SAID LOCKED UNLOCKED POSITIONS, AND (2) RESILIENT DETENT MEANS ON SAID LOCK MEMBER ENGAGED BY SAID CAM PEAK TO MAINTAIN SAID LOCK MEMBER IN ONE OF SAID LOCKED AND UNLOCKED POSITIONS. 